Posts Tagged ‘Ian McCall’

“Nobody wants to watch them on free TV. They’re pulling terrible ratings. If they want to get into the pay-per-view business, get ready to lose some money boys. Real money.”- UFC president Dana White warned Bellator that the pay-per-view business is not friendly via mmafighting.com.

“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been re-born. My excitement, energy and aggression, it’s all back and bigger than ever. I feel like a kid again. The Rampage you’ll see Nov. 2 will be better than any Rampage you’ve ever seen. Everybody knows Tito and I have a very long history. He’s a former teammate and friend, and it’s one of the reasons I stayed away from the UFC as long as I did. But, I want to be very clear; any sort of friendship we once had doesn’t exist when that cage door shuts. I’ve got a ton to prove on November 2nd, and unfortunately for Tito he’s the guy I have to make an example of. He’s in my house now and Saturday, Nov. 2nd on PPV, it’s going to be a horrible night for Tito Ortiz.”- Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson gave his thoughts on headlining the first-ever Bellator pay-per-view via Bellator press release.

“I’m back. Over the last few years, my passion for MMA was completely killed, dealing with UFC politics and with Dana. I didn’t have that drive to compete, my heart wasn’t in it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m free. Bjorn and Bellator put together an opportunity that made me part of the promotion, part of the family. I feel like I can breathe again and my old friend is going to be on the receiving end of all that happiness turned into an old school Tito Ortiz ground and pound beating. I’ve fought and beaten the very best in MMA history and on Nov. 2nd, Rampage will be the next huge win on my record. This is a new era for the People’s Champion.”- UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz, now a Bellator competitor, chastised his former employer and spoke on his bout against “Rampage” via Bellator press release.

“It’s only the MMA diehards that want to see that fight. I have so many things going on. If she really wants to make that fight happen, I’m here.”- Ronda Rousey talked to ESPNabout the people that want to see her fight “Cyborg” Santos.

“He went out and bulled B.J. because he knew he could. He didn’t try to bully Ellenberger. Don’t come in and say my fight was great and technical and I belong in the top-10 and all this s—, and don’t go in there and try to perform. I don’t think he performed. I don’t think he did anything. He threw a few jabs and some front kicks.”- At the UFC on Fox 8 post-fight press conference, White spoke on the lackluster bout between Rory MacDonaldand Jake Ellenberger.

“I hate answering questions about him. He’s just not relevant to me. There’s so many great fighters in the light-heavyweight division. He’s not even top five in his division. I’m not sure if he is.”- Jon Jonesadmitted at the UFC World Tour that Daniel Cormier is not on his radar.

“Vitor drives me crazy man. Lorenzo can deal with Vitor, not me.”- White spoke to OGlobo about the difficulties of matching Vitor Belfortwith a suitable opponent.

“I’ve never made Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre money, anyway. The thing I’ll miss the most is being a part of the greatest sport, the fastest-growing sport in the world. It’s so awesome to go out there and know I’m a part of the big show. The UFC really is the Super Bowl of mixed martial arts. It’s the biggest and best. It will be sad to not be a part of that anymore.”- Aaron Rileytalked to mmajunkie.comabout his recent retirement

“I was sitting on the toilet and I heard screaming, ‘GSP! GSP are you there?! I was saying to myself, ‘Are you serious? Is he really calling me while I’m on the toilet right now?’ And I didn’t say a word. So I’m waiting and I’m like, ‘Shoot, I can’t believe he’s doing this to me.’ I’m a shy guy. I don’t like to be on the spot. So I wait. When I finished, I flushed and I even waited the next five minutes to make sure everybody that was in the [bathroom] when the guy called me … was gone, so it was different people because I don’t want to be put on the spot.”- Georges St-Pierre, at the UFC World Tour, detailed a peculiar fan interaction.

“I don’t mind my goals being told aloud because then it makes me train that much harder. My goal is to fight at 185 (pounds) and hopefully win a belt there. That’s my real goal because, like I said, I walk around at 220.”- Johny Hendricksadmitted to MMA DieHardsthat he intends on vacating the welterweight division.

”When I used to box, I was like Anderson Silva. They compared me to Pernell Whitaker.”- Hip hop icon and former boxer Cormega talked to MMA Cypherabout his unique boxing history.

“I’ve always been physically ready. Every fight, I’ve always been in shape. I’ve always been there. Just for me it’s a mental thing because I can be a head case and that really has been what’s gotten me down in the past, but I took personal steps in my personal life, new relationships, new whatever it may be to just change for the better. I really am just happier and in a much better place than I can really ever remember, which is nice.”- Ian McCall admitted to MMA Weekly that his life changes will be the key to his UFC success.

“I lost my focus and made a technical mistake. It was one of the things that I left – the philosophy of the martial art –and it cost me the belt. I always fought with this felling of keeping the martial art philosophy and keeping the control of the situation – trying to be as calm as possible for me to keep the balance of the octagon, which is very hard to do.”- Anderson Silvaexplained to Mundo da Lutahow he feels after his first UFC loss.

“Dana White has killed the sport that you and i love. The refusal to build stars. The reward for standing and wanging. THE UNIFIED RULES, have all killed the sport of mixed martial arts. I come to you humbly, as a student and teacher of the mixed martial arts. A man that has never tapped out, or been knocked out in mixed martial arts competition and ask that you do not support a corporate monarchy that favors a mark in the Win column, over showcasing the ART of MMA.”- Jason “Mayhem” Millertook to The UG to address the UFC president.

Louis Gaudinot doesn’t quite understand why Ian McCall is calling him out, but he does know that a year is a long time to wait.

Gaudinot (Twitter: @LouisGaudinotUFC) last competed on May 5, 2012, against John Lineker at “UFC on Fox: Diaz vs. Miller.” It was a victorious debut in the UFC flyweight division for “Goodight,” even though the bout eventually became a 127-pound catchweight match due to Lineker’s issues at the scales, Gaudinot made weight.

Gaudinot is finally returning to the Octagon, but won’t be meeting the combatant who has recently called him out via the internet. The aforementioned McCall took to The Underground, claimed Gaudinot has been chomping at the bit for a scrap with him, and accepted the challenge. However, Gaudinot finds “Uncle Creepy’s” allegations and retaliation a little belated.

“To be honest, I can’t tell you what’s going on,” Gaudinot told Joe Rizzo and Jason Kelly on MMA DieHards Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “The UFC told me I have an opponent in August, I can’t say who the opponent is, but they offered me a fight and it’s not Ian McCall. I did an interview over a year ago and they asked me, ‘Who do you want to fight next?’ So, of course, like any fighter, you want to be the best in the world, you want to move up in the rankings. I said, ‘I want to fight someone ranked above me in the rankings.’ At the time, they were doing the flyweight tournament. I said, “I want to fight one of the guys in the tournament.’ Obviously I couldn’t fight (Demetrious) “Mighty Mouse” (Johnson) or Joseph Benavidez because they won their matches, and they were moving on to the title fight. So, I said, ‘I’d like to face Ian McCall or Yasuhiro Urushitani.’ That’s all I really said. I never called anybody out one-on-one; I just said that I wanted to fight one of the guys in the tournament.”

Gaudinot said with the interview being more than a year old, and never mentioning McCall’s name after that, he doesn’t understand why “Uncle Creepy” would claim he is continuously being called out. Gaudinot would be obliged to the UFC if granted a bout with McCall, but due to the politics of matchmaking, the higher ups are not keen on this fight at the moment.

“If the UFC changes their mind, I would love to fight him,” Gaudinot said. “He’s ranked above me in rankings; that’s what I want to do, I want to move up in rankings. Of course, I want to fight those guys, and show that I can beat them, and show them I belong there. He’s talking smack, saying he’ll knock the green off my head. You can talk all you want, if we fight, it’s a different story. I’m not one to talk crap. It’s a business; I don’t have to hate the person before the fight. If that’s how he has to be, so be it. I’m in there to do a job, I know I’m going to win, I know I’m going to kick some ass when I go out there, whoever they put me against. I don’t have to talk smack about it, but I’d love to fight him. The UFC told me he’s coming off two losses, so it doesn’t make sense.”

A fight that is currently sensible is the bout that Gaudinot is scheduled for in August. It may not be his first choice, but after being out of the Octagon for over a year, the New York native is anticipating a dominant return to action.

“I had two different injuries,” Gaudinot said. “I was supposed to fight, I got hurt, thankfully I didn’t need surgery. I rehabbed myself, that was a pain in the ass, then I hurt a different part of my body. That time was a little bit worse, I thought I was going to need surgery, but luckily I didn’t. Now, I’m back to training 100-percent, and I hope to keep it that way. I had a couple bad streaks, but I’m anxious to get back in the cage. It’s been too long.”

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson isn’t intimidated by other fighters gunning for his title gold.

It’s not that “Mighty Mouse” (Twitter: @MightyMouseUFC) is cocky – quite the opposite. It’s just that having fought professionally for six years, he’s confident in his own abilities as a mixed martial artist. As Johnson sees it, winning his first championship last September is physical proof of where he stands as a fighter.

“I’m focusing on beating people rather than defending my title,” Johnson told MMADiehards’ Punch Drunk Radio on Jan. 15. “I’m not worried about losing it or hanging on to it. It’s just a token or achievement I’ve earned in my MMA career. I’ve already made history and they can never take that away from me.”

“Mighty Mouse” initially made his way into the record books by besting Joseph Benavidez for the flyweight belt in September 2012. Scoring a split decision victory over “Joe B-Wan Kenobi” at UFC 152 in Toronto, Canada, Johnson can now call himself the first-ever UFC flyweight champion.

It’s an honor Johnson isn’t taking lightly. As the face of the UFC’s newest weight class, “Mighty Mouse” plans on making 125 lbs. one of its most entertaining divisions.

“With the flyweights being so new and the fans not understanding the division yet, it’s going to take time for them to get educated about us,” Johnson said. “We bring a lot of different skill sets to display in the UFC. There are a thousand guys out there. Just because they’re not known doesn’t mean they’re not out there.”

So far, Johnson has caught fight fans’ attention with a trio of electrifying bouts. He started by dueling “Uncle Creepy” Ian McCall to a draw last March at UFC on FX 2, then completely shutting him down with a unanimous decision rout at UFC on FX 3 in June. After that, “Mighty Mouse” completed the trifecta by defeating Benavidez during September’s nail-biting, back-and-forth contest for the title.

“2012 was a great year,” Johnson said. “I got married, won the belt and had a great string of fights. I’m looking forward to bringing that momentum over to 2013.”

A new year brings new challenges, and Johnson will face a dangerous one in John Dodson at UFC on Fox 6 on Saturday in Chicago, Ill. “The Magician” has cast a powerful spell over his division by knocking out two of his last three foes. He’s now feared for hitting like a car crash at blistering speeds.

“Dodson is absolutely a threat to me,” Johnson admitted. “He’s super-athletic and that right there poses a threat as he has great balance and good footwork.”

It’s a pairing Johnson expects will push his division to the next level. Airing on Fox, “Mighty Mouse” vs. “The Magician” marks the flyweights’ debut on national television.

“With Fox, anyone in the world can watch it,” Johnson said of his standoff with Dodson Saturday night. “I’m just happy to go out there and fight for the UFC, especially in the main event. Fighting on Fox is just icing on the cake.”

Given the extra exposure, Johnson said he’s not resting on his laurels as flyweight champion. Rather, he intends on delivering Dodson an unquestionable defeat Saturday night.

“I’m training hard and looking forward to getting in there and doing my thing,” Johnson said. “When I train for a fight, I’m not just training for John Dodson or anyone else. I’m training to make myself a better mixed martial artist. I take care of business and I know what needs to be done.”

Mark Hensch is an avid MMA fan who became interested in the sport through wrestling and karate. When not covering the hurt business, he writes about heavy metal for the Washington Times at his blog Heavy Metal Hensch in Washington D.C.

(The MMA Diehards staff has compiled lists for the best fighter of the year, fight of the year, KO of the year, submission of the year and breakthrough fighter of the year to close out 2012.)

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey

Love her or hate her, Ronda Rousey is MMA’s biggest revelation of 2012.

For starters, “Rowdy” debuted for Strikeforce in March with a limb-snapping, submission of the year victory over Miesha Tate. Proving that armbar wasn’t a fluke, she destroyed Sarah Kaufmann with the same move during a 54-second rout last August.

Such dominance didn’t go unnoticed, and Rousey was soon trailblazing to bigger and better things. Closing 2012 by breaking the UFC’s gender barrier, she’s now the first female in the world’s premier fighting league. Given the Olympic judoka remains undefeated, no other star jumped higher last year.

For one of the UFC’s smallest fighters, Demetrious Johnson made big waves last year.

“Mighty Mouse” first entered the history books in 2012 as a founding father of the UFC’s new flyweight division. From there, he defeated the dangerous Ian McCall not once, but twice, for a shot at the division’s vacant title. By besting Joseph Benavidez in September, “Mighty Mouse” made his most lasting mark serving as the UFC’s first 125 lb. champion.

Stefan Struve signed with the UFC long before last year, but he showed he’s its most improved heavyweight in 2012.

Racking up a 3-0 record over seven months, Struve can now stand tall after years of criticism for his unorthodox style. He began by knocking out Dave Herman in February, continued by subbing Lavar Johnson in May and ended with a TKO starching of Stipe Miocic in September. It’s an epic run, and one Struve spent proving he’s got better striking, fight IQ and guts than he’s often credited for.

The answer’s a resounding “no” after seeing “Ares” pulverize B.J. Penn earlier this month. Fighting at UFC on Fox 5, MacDonald humiliated the beloved icon for three rounds before millions of shocked viewers. Watching MacDonald gleefully toy with Penn for 15 minutes, one sensed he could’ve finished him at any time but didn’t out of sheer sadism. If that doesn’t make MacDonald one of MMA’s most fearsome fighters, his April beatdown of Che Mills certainly does.

Entering the sport seven years ago, Brown showed promise but could never put together a strong win streak. In 2011, for example, “The Immortal” inked a 1-2 score. Changing tactics last year, he’s since won his last four fights and shows no signs of slowing down. As 2013 dawns, Brown has a second wind at his back and a bright future going forward.

Mark Hensch is an avid MMA fan who became interested in the sport through wrestling and karate. When not covering the hurt business, he serves as a digital editor for the Washington Times’ Times247.com in Washington D.C.

UFC fighter Joseph "Joe Jitsu" Benavidez celebrates after a hard-fought and bloody battle in the cage. (Photo courtesy of mmafightcorner.com)

No matter the outcome, Joseph Benavidez will enter the history books this Saturday at UFC 152 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Win, lose or draw, “Joe Jitsu” (Twitter: @JoeJitsu) will cement his place as one of the UFC flyweight division’s founding fathers. Come fight night, Benavidez will face Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, another trailblazer for the UFC’s smallest weight class. The victor will stand tall as the division’s first title holder for all time.

“This is about making history,” Benavidez told MMADiehards’ new Hammerfisting MMA Podcast on Saturday, Sept. 15. “I think I’m going to build the bulk of my legacy and really make my name in the flyweight division. What a great way to start that legacy – by becoming the first champion in the division. You become great by going out there and doing things like that.”

Benavidez first broke into MMA as a bantamweight in 2006. He’s now 16-2, and the only person who’s defeated him is Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz, the UFC’s bantamweight champion. Entering the flyweight ranks thus gives “Joe Jitsu” a breath of fresh air, and it’s a change he’s grateful for.

“This has been a big dream of mine,” Benavidez said of his latest title shot. “When I got into this sport, my goal wasn’t to be in a UFC main event, it was to be a UFC champion. It’s been a long journey. My eyes are on the prize.”

Johnson, for his part, isn’t just a stepping stone. “Mighty Mouse” is 15-2-1 and a major threat against even the most masterful fighters. Blindingly fast and a tenacious grappler, he’ll give Benavidez a true battle when the cage door closes.

“Johnson goes out there with no fear and always comes forward,” Benavidez admitted. “He mixes it up well and I really like his style. I think he’ll bring out the best in me.”

Both men had rocky roads leading toward their matchup. Benavidez blasted 19-5-6 Yasuhiro Urushitani into unconsciousness at UFC on FX 1 last March, winning via second round TKO. Johnson, meanwhile, faced 15-2-1 Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall in back-to-back brawls following a scoring error. He won the series with a dominating unanimous decision at UFC on FX 2 in June.

Such grueling competition has convinced Benavidez he has an uphill battle Saturday night. In a fight between the world’s most elite flyweights, he claims his killer instinct will make the difference.

“I like Johnson but he’s the one guy standing in my way and trying to take away my dream,” Benavidez said. “Nobody can do that. If I have 25 minutes to fight, I have 25 minutes to kill him and get the stoppage. I don’t think ‘Mighty Mouse’ can make it 25 minutes before I can get to him and finish him off.”

Though Benavidez is banking on championship gold, he plans on making the first flyweight title fight unforgettable either way. Champion or not, “Joe Jitsu” has a division’s future to develop.

“We’re the two best fighters in the world in our weight class,” Benavidez said of his matchup with Johnson. “This has all the ingredients for a great fight. I have 100 percent faith that when people see us they’ll believe in what we do.”

Mark Hensch is an avid MMA fan who became interested in the sport through wrestling and karate. When not covering the hurt business, he serves as a digital editor for the Washington Times’ Times247.com in Washington D.C.

A major flyweight bout featured on next month’s UFC on Fox 4 card is getting a makeover.

MMADiehards.com has learned from sources close to the event that Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall has withdrawn from his match with UFC newcomer John Moraga. Ulysses “Useless” Gomez will make his own Octagon debut against Moraga instead.

McCall was scheduled to face Moraga on Aug. 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The popular 11-3-1 flyweight is fresh off a high-profile feud with Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson over a slot in the UFC’s inaugural flyweight title match. The pair met in a controversial draw at UFC on FX 2 in Sydney last March, only to main event last month’s UFC on FX 3 in Sunrise, Fla. for a conclusive victor. Johnson won that battle, besting “Uncle Creepy” in a unanimous decision victory.

MMADiehards’ source could not provide an explanation for McCall’s absence against the 10-1 Moraga. The latest addition to the UFC’s flyweight ranks has won three of his last four fights by submission. Moraga’s last bout, a unanimous decision victory over Maurice Senters, took place at Rage in the Cage 160 in Chandler, Ariz. last month.

Gomez, meanwhile, has gone 9-2 during his fight career. “Useless” has won two of his last three, and the Mexican fighter notched both his wins via submissions. His most recent match, a guillotine choke out of Cody Gibson, took place at Taichi Palace Fights 11 in Lemoore, Calif. last December.

Gomez makes a more even fight for Moraga, who was facing one of the world’s top-five flyweight fighters in McCall. He’ll go at it with Gomez at a card headlined by a light heavyweight brawl between Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon “The Truth” Vera.

Mark Hensch is an avid MMA fan who became interested in the sport through wrestling and karate. When not covering the hurt business, he serves as a digital editor for the Washington Times’ Times247.com in Washington D.C.